April 3, 1909. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
221 
Shrubs for the f^ock Garden. 
The early spring being a very suitable 
time lor making any alterations or im¬ 
provements which may be deemed neces¬ 
sary in rock gardens, perhaps a few hints 
on the advisability of introducing some 
dwarf shrubs amongst the alpines will not 
be amiss at this period. 
With some these have found great 
favour, but there are many who do not 
appear to realise what wonderful effects 
mav be obtained by having a few shrubs 
judiciously planted in bold prominent 
positions amongst the alpines and the 
rock work. 
Cotoneasters are splendid subjects for 
such a purpose. C. congesta is a gem, 
with lovely bright green foliage, and 
spreading branches which creep over and 
cling fast to the stones. C. thymifolia 
and C. horizontalis are also very good, 
the last named being a vigorous variety 
with long spreading branches which must 
be allowed plenty of room. 
The Daphnes are a beautiful class of 
evergreen flowering shrub excellent for 
the rockery. D. blagayana is one of the 
best, bearing fragrant white flowers in 
terminal clusters. D. Cneorum and D. 
fioniana have'pink flowers; these are 
beautiful plants and ought to be included 
in every collection. 
The European Rhododendrons, such 
as R. ferrugineum and R. hirsutum, are 
splendid when planted in bold masses. 
These are quite dwarf, and of a compact 
habit, and are beautiful in spring when 
in full flower. 
The Spanish Gorse—Genista hispanica 
pumila—is also an interesting subject, 
which contributes a lovely effect when 
planted in large groups on a high pro¬ 
minent position. Cytisus praecox is a 
beautiful broom with lemon-coloured 
flowers. C. andreanus is also a splendid 
variety, having the same habit as the 
above. A few of these planted at intervals 
Grafting 
- Fruit Trees. - 
+ 
The amateur is often at a loss to know 
how to perform this operation, and even 
in private gardens it is not very much 
practised, as fruit trees can now be pur¬ 
chased so cheaply that gardeners do not 
consider it-necessary to perform this de¬ 
licate work. But there may be those who 
would like to graft a tree just for the 
novelty of the thing, while for those w-ho 
have trees (all one variety) who cannot 
afford to purchase other sorts this article 
is chiefly directed. 
To be successful everything must be 
done thoroughly and neatly. The trees 
to be grafted should have been shortened, 
that is, the branches, late in the year, the 
object being to retain the sap in the lower 
portion of the tree that would otherwise 
have risen to the branches in the spring 
and been lost. This gives the graft in¬ 
serted more vigour to start away. 
on the higher parts of the rockery are in¬ 
valuable for removing any stiffness that 
might appear to exist. Escallonia phil- 
dippiana is a capital subject for the same 
purpose; it has a free and graceful ap¬ 
pearance, and bears fine panicles of white 
flowers. 
Spiraeas may also be used to advantage, 
such shrubby varieties as S. arguta and 
S. ruberrima being very, suitable; also 
Veronicas such as V. cupressoides, V. 
Haastii, etc. Berberis of sorts, Per- 
nettyas, Olearias, Andromedas, and 
several others may also be utilised for the 
same purpose. 
In extensive rock gardens, even dwarf 
conifers such a- Juniperus Sabina tamaris- 
cifolia, Retinospora obtusa nana, and a 
few others I have seen used very effec¬ 
tively. Pinus Cembra and P. montana 
look well when planted so as to form a. 
miniature Pine forest on the higher slopes 
in the background ; these Pines are of a 
fine dwarf habit, and of very slow growth, 
and are really splendid for the purpose. 
The one great point when planting is to 
select the most suitable positions for the 
different subjects. In all cases they must 
be on prominent outstanding situations. A 
great deal depends also when planting on 
the style or mode in which the rockwork 
has been constructed, and likewise on its 
surroundings. . That being so, plants 
which would be most suitable for one rock 
garden might be in every way very un¬ 
suitable for another. Therefore the man¬ 
ner of planting and quantity to be em¬ 
ployed must to a great extent depend on 
individual taste, and the general charac¬ 
ter of the rockery. Those shrubs men¬ 
tioned I have no hesitation in recommend¬ 
ing, having seen them all used in this way 
most effectively. Others, of course, 
equally as good and as easily grown, may 
be selected for the same purpose. 
Robt. Robertson. 
The grafts of any tree one would like 
to grow can be taken, and no time should- 
now be lost in getting them before the 
Splice Grafting. 
1. The scion or graft -prepared ; 2. The 
stock prepared to receive the graft ; 3. The 
graft fitted on the slock and tied. 
buds expand too much and storing them 
in a damp place until required. The best 
time to carry out this operation is the 
latter end of March and during the first 
two weeks of April. The trees to be 
grafted should be shortened as shown in 
the accompanying illustration, and the 
grafts made likewise, always using sharp 
instruments for the work. A small 
hatchet will be required to split the 
largest branches, and a chisel to hold the 
split open to get the grafts fixed into posi¬ 
tion. When this is done, tie round with 
a piece of matting, taking great care that 
the barks of both are flush together. 
It is advisable to have a little clay and 
lard mixed well together to fill in the 
opening at the top and down the sides of 
the branches. Grafting wax can be pur¬ 
chased from most of the nurserymen. 
Particular care must fee taken to cover 
any part that would admit air to the graft. 
Where there is a large number of trees 
to be treated, one can make a preparation 
cheaply by getting 3 lb. of brown Stock¬ 
holm tar, \ lb. of rosin. \ lb. of beeswax, 
and 4 oz. of lard ; dissolve, and mix these 
ingredients together in a saucepan, and 
apply the mixture warm, using a small 
hair brush for the purpose. 
Look over the trees during the summer, 
and cut off all shoots growing out from 
the stem, and cut the matting after the 
grafts are well started, giving them a little 
support in case they get broken by the 
wind. 
Thos. Daniels. 
Gartmore. 
[The accompanying sketches show the 
simplest form of grafting, generally 
termed splice-grafting. See also the 
Fruit Garden.— Ed.] 
-- 
Re Paraffin Undiluted for Vines. 
A Letter to the Editor. 
A letter from Mr. Small, on page 194 
of The Gardening World, where we 
are told paraffin can be used on Vines 
with perfect safety, is quite misleading, 
and I trust none of your readers have 
had the misfortune to apply it unless the 
employer takes the responsibility. 
Personally, I know- of two instances 
where it proved fatal on splendid Vines 
as low- as applied, also of a case where 
the Peach trees were destroyed. The 
former was used at the rate of three wine¬ 
glasses to two gallons of water. In the 
latter the paraffin u-as put on neat. I 
use it myself by adding a wine-glassful 
to a gallon of water, every alternate 
syringeful being returned by way of mix¬ 
ing. 
W. Birkixshaw. 
- +++ - 
P.ARR’S HARDY PERENNIALS. 
Just now is the season for planting 
hardy* herbaceous and reck plants of all 
kinds. In accordance with the season. 
Messrs. Barr and Sons. 11, 12 and 13, 
King Street, Covent Garden, London, 
issue their catalogue of hardy perennials, 
alpines and aquatics. Really good novel¬ 
ties and rarities are offered on pp. 9 to 
10. Information that will assist amateurs 
in selecting hardy plants is given on pp. 
2 to 6 ; while on pp. 7 and 8 will be found 
popular English names for all the plants 
in the catalogue. 
